Dispensing containers for granular products having a resilient perforated plug and closure cap therefor



July 27, 1965 w. STEIN 3,197,092

DISPENSING CONTAINERS FOR GRANULAR PRODUCTS HAVING A RESILIENTPERFORATED PLUG AND CLOSURE CAP THEREFOR Filed July 6, 1964 FIG. I

INVENTOR.

a M. Jan v BY /4 w y ATTORNEY United States Patent DESEENSHNG CGNTAENERSFUR GRANULAR PRSBUCTS HAVING A RESZHENT MERFQ- RATED PLUG AND CLfidURECAP FGR William Stein, 4 Alpine Road, New Rochelle, Nfif. Filed July 6,1964, Ser. No. 389,537 4 Claims. (Cl. 222-645) This invention relates toa dispensing container and more particularly to the closure elementsthereof.

The use of a perforated plate or the like in the neck of a bottle fordispensing granular material is of course well known. However, suchperforations have a tendency to permit deterioration of the enclosedcontents, which might very well be an aromatic spice.

This problem has been marked in the industry for many years and manyattempts have been made to provide an economical and effective closureto solve the problem but these solutions have themselves involved otherproblems.

With the foregoing in mind I have devised a dispensing closure takingthe form of a resilient plug which is seated in the bottle neck andwhich is provided with a perforated floor well below the bottle lip. Theplug is formed with an annular shoulder spaced above the floor. Aclosure cap having a lowermost head is provided. The bead is arranged tofirmly seat itself between the perforated floor and the shoulder so asto provide a very effective seal in the closed position of the cap. Theplug is further formed with an uppermost flange resting on the bottlelip and supporting the cap in the closed position, the cap having acentral annular head which normally rests on said flange.

The invention will be further understood from the following descriptionand drawings wherein:

FZGURE 1 is an exploded view, in elevation, of the dispensing containerof this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional View of the assembledcontainer, partly broken away;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view thereof, with the cap removed; and

FZGURE 4 is a perspective view of the container in the pouring ordispensing position.

The bottle 19 is essentially conventional, being provided with a neck 11and a lip 12.

Resilient plug 13 is of a size to fit firmly and snugly within the neck11, being supported therein by the lip 12. Plug 13 is preferably of aresilient plastic material such as polyethylene. It is provided with atop flange 14, an annular sidewall 15, an inwardly tapering annularshoulder 16 internally thereof, and a lowermost reduced annular section17 formed with a perforated floor 18.

Bottle 10 is generally filled with a granular product Zii which is to bedispensed. Product 26 may be any type of granular spice or the like. Theplug 13 is deposited within the neck of the filled bottle Iii by firmlypressing it therein until its flange l4- meets and rests upon lip 12.The fit should be tight so that the plug 13 will not become displacedthrough ordinary use of the product.

Cap 21 is designed to perform the sealing function in closing thebottle. Cap 21 and bottle iii may both be of glass material, althoughthis is not necessary to the invention. Cap 21 is preferably hollow asshown in 3,l97,92 Patented July 27, 1965 once than that of lowermostsection 17 of plug 13. It is also formed with a central head 23 which isof larger diameter somewhat equivalent to that of flange 14 of plug 13upon which it rests. Cap 21 has a reduced section 24 directly above bead22.

My invention operates as follows:

After plug 13 is installed, the cap 21 is deposited in place byinserting its lower end within the neck 11 as shown, the plug 13functioning as a resilient liner. Lowermost head 22, being of a diameterless than that of wall 15, first cont-acts the inwardly sloping annularshoulder 16 and slides down such shoulder, coming to rest within thehollow lowermost plug section 17. At the same time, thecentral head 23rests against the flange 14.

As the head 22 slides down annular shoulder 16 it tends to expand thesame so that, when the bead 22 comes to rest on floor 13,.the shoulder16 tends to restore itself to its normal sloping position so as toeffect a very firm and substantially airtight seal, the shoulder 16protruding slightly toward reduced section 24 and partially embracingthe top surface of bead 22. The thickness of bead 22 is about the sameas the height of plug section 17 so that the shoulder 16 is free toassume its normal sloping position when the cap is fully deposited inplace.

The inner diameter of lowermost section 17 is minutely less than theouter diameter of lowermost head 22 so as to effect a slight radialexpansion of the section 17 when the cap is installed. This actionassists in producing the firm closure.

Of course, when the material is to be dispensed, the cap 21 is removedand the bottle 19 may be tilted as indicated in FIGURE 4, so as todispense the contents. The return of cap 21 to its normal position ofclosure thereafter restores the firm seal which protects the contentsagainst deterioration.

It will be observed that annular sidewall 15 extends approximately halfway down the bottle neck Ill, while maintaining firm contact therewith.This provides a large area of closure so that the aroma of the productwill be effectively retained and will not tend to leak out,

the shoulder 16 and section 17 being spaced inwardly from the innersurface of the bottle neck ll. In a satis factory embodiment the neck 11was /8" in height while wall 15 was in height.

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention but it is obviousthat numerous omissions and changes may be made therein withoutdeparting from its spirit.

What is claimed is:

1. A dispensing container comprising a bottle for containing a productto be dispensed, said bottle having a neck, a resilient plug having aperforated floor disposed in said neck, an annular integral shoulderformed around said plug and internally thereof and spaced above saidfloor, a lowermost hollow section between said floor said shoulder, aclosure cap for said neck, said closure cap having a lowermost beadfitting within said lowermost hollow section and said shoulder partiallyembracing the top surface of said lowermost head when said cap is in theclosed position, said closure cap being round in transversecrosssection, said cap being formed with a section of reduceddiameterdirectly over said a lowermost bead so as to permit said shoulder topartially embrace said top surface of said lowermost head, said capbeing hollow, a central bead formed on said cap of larger diameter thansaid lowermost bead, a top flange on said plug overlying the top of saidbottle neck, and said central bead resting on said flange.

2. A dispensing container according to claim 1 and including an annularsidewall on said plug directly under said flange, said sidewall being ofa height approximately one-half that of said bottle neck and firmlycontacting said one-half of said bottle neck.

3. A dispensing container according to claim 2 and wherein both saidshoulder and said lowermost hollow section of said plug are spacedinwardly from said bottle neck.

4. A dispensing container according to claim 3 and wherein said caplowermost head is of substantially the same thickness as said pluglowerrnost hollow section.

References (Iited by the Egraininer UNITED STATES PATENTS 294,341 2/84Wilcox 222563 X 2,921,724 1/60 Whitney 222-563 X 2,940,646 6/60 Albani222-565 X 3,124,281 3/64 Stull 222-563 V LOUIS J. DEMBO, PrimaryExaminer.

WALTER SOBIN, Examiner.

1. A DISPENSING CONTAINE COMPRISING A BOTTLE FOR CONTAINING A PRODUCT TOBE DISPENSED, SAID BOTTLE HAVING A NECK, A RESILIENT PLUG HAVING APERFORATED FLOOR DISPOSED IN SAID NECK, AN ANNULAR INTEGRAL SHOULDERFORMED AROUND SAID PLUG AND INTERNALLY THEREOF AND SPACED ABOVE SAIDFLOOR, A LOWERMOST HOLLOW SECTION BETWEEN SAID FLOOR AND SAID SHOULDER,A CLOSURE CAP FOR SAID NECK, SAID CLOSURE CAP HAVING A LOWERMOST BEADFITTING WITHIN SAID LOWERMOST HOLLOW SECTION AND SAID SHOULDER PARTIALLYEMBRACING THE TOP SURFACE OF SAID LOWERMOST BEAD WHEN SAID CAP IS IN THECLOSED POSITION, SAID CLOSURE CAP BEING ROUND IN TRANSVERSECROSS-SECTION, SAID CAP BEING FORMED WITH A SECTION OF REDUCED DIAMETERDIRECTLY OVER SAID LOWER MOST BEAD SO AS TO PERMIT SAID SHOULDER TOPARTIALLY EMBRACE SAID TOP SURFACE OF SAID LOWERMOST BEAD, SAID CAPBEING HOLLOW, A CENTRAL BEAD FORMED ON SAID CAP OF LARGER DIAMETER THANSAID LOWERMOST BEAD, A TOP FLANGE ON SAID PLUG OVERLYING THE TOP OF SAIDBOTTLE NECK, AND SAID CENTRAL BEAD RESTING ON SAID FLANGE.